Song Machine, Season One

by Gorillaz

Song Machine, Season One cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 23 October 2020
  • Label: Parlophone, Warner
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Length: 1:05:07
  • Community rating: 3.39/5 from 21 ratings

Artists on this release: Remi Kabaka Jr., Damon Albarn

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Conceived as an episodic web series, 'Song Machine, Season One' moves away from a traditional album format, presenting a collection of stylistically distinct tracks built around a high-profile roster of collaborators. The album’s sound is deliberately eclectic, encompassing the post-punk of 'Strange Timez' featuring Robert Smith and the piano balladry of 'The Pink Phantom' with Elton John and 6lack, with production handled by a varied team including James Ford and Prince Paul. Damon Albarn's songwriting and vocal performances serve as the consistent anchor throughout the project's blend of alternative rock, hip-hop, and electronic music, unifying its spontaneous and collaborative creation process.

Genres

Descriptors: conceptual, collaborations, genre-blending, electronic, diverse

Tracklist

  1. Strange Timez (feat. Robert Smith) (3:48)
  2. The Valley of The Pagans (feat. Beck) (3:01)
  3. The Lost Chord (feat. Leee John) (4:04)
  4. Pac-Man (feat. ScHoolboy Q) (3:13)
  5. Chalk Tablet Towers (feat. St Vincent) (3:03)
  6. The Pink Phantom (feat. Elton John and 6LACK) (4:13)
  7. Aries (feat. Peter Hook and Georgia) (4:13)
  8. Friday 13th (feat. Octavian) (3:35)
  9. Dead Butterflies (feat. Kano and Roxani Arias) (4:34)
  10. Désolé (feat. Fatoumata Diawara) - Extended Version (5:33)
  11. Momentary Bliss (feat. slowthai and Slaves) (3:41)
  12. Opium (feat. EARTHGANG) (6:51)
  13. Simplicity (feat. Joan As Police Woman) (2:44)
  14. Severed Head (feat. Goldlink and Unknown Mortal Orchestra) (3:34)
  15. With Love To An Ex (feat. Moonchild Sanelly) (3:01)
  16. MLS (feat. JPEGMAFIA and CHAI) (3:13)
  17. How Far? (feat. Tony Allen and Skepta) (2:46)

Credits

  • Damon Albarn - production (all tracks), vocals (tracks 1–14, 16), keyboards (tracks 1–6, 8–10, 12–18), bass (tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13–14, 18), guitar (tracks 2, 4–5, 7, 8, 10–14, 16–18), drum programming (tracks 2, 10, 16), synthesizer (tracks 4, 7), backing vocals, drums, percussion (track 4), piano (tracks 6, 12), melodica (tracks 16–17)
  • Remi Kabaka Jr. - production (all tracks), drum programming (tracks 1–2, 5–9, 11–16), percussion (tracks 1, 3–5, 7, 10, 12–13, 15, 17), drums (tracks 3–4, 7)
  • James Ford - production, drums, percussion (tracks 3, 7, 10), keyboards (tracks 3, 10), guitar (track 3), synthesizer, drum programming (track 7), balafon, zither (track 10)
  • Sylvain Bellegarde - voice messengers
  • Emmanuel Laniece - voice messengers
  • Augustin Ledieu - voice messengers
  • Vanina de Franco - voice messengers
  • Neima Naouri - voice messengers
  • Jamie Hewlett - artwork, design
  • Stephen Sedgwick - mixing (all tracks), engineering (tracks 1–4, 6–18)
  • John Davis - mastering (tracks 1–12, 14–18)
  • Samuel Egglenton - engineering (tracks 1–14, 16–18)
  • Stars Redmond - assistance

More from Gorillaz: full discography